I have just sat through one of the great rugby league spectacles of all time, the first semi-final of rugby league’s 2013 World Cup, a match between England and New Zealand.
And what a match it was.
Punishing in its intensity, mesmerising in its skill and audacious in its display of talent and fortune, I cannot think of a better advertisement for international rugby league.
The tension was palatable with New Zealand starting off the stronger.
But has been the case with England recently, they have learnt not to crack.
They kept their nerve, played some fantastic football and dominated the first half.
But there is a reason why New Zealand are World Champions.
Blessed with unnatural talent and skill, the Kiwis have the ability to reach out to lady fortune’s hand and pull her into their dance. This they did with a try on half-time that can only be described as a miracle.
Going into half-time with the scores locked at 8-8, one wouldn’t know that England had had New Zealand on the ropes.
The second half saw New Zealand hit the lead for the first time and once again, England weathered the storm, regaining the lead with some power playing and mesmerising attack. Two tries later and England were on their way to a well deserved victory and a berth in the final.
New Zealand did not play the perfect game. For 79 minutes, England were the better team.
But a rugby league match lasts 80 minutes and when the gods favour you with unpredictable power and talent, the audacious touch of fortune is always on hand to support you.
This the gods did when the Kiwis received a lazy penalty and in the final seconds of the match, Shaun Johnson, slicing through the English defence, shattered the hearts and souls of a brave, brave English team.
If this match had been the final, not a soul would have complained.
Long live international rugby league.
Springs
Guest
Yeah, read up stupid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rugby_league#The_schism_in_England Yorkshire clubs put a proposal forward so that players would receive six shillings when they missed work, the RFU voted this down so 22 clubs formed a new league where players could be compensated. The RFU were a hypocritical bunch, mainly made up of Southerners, who would pay their best players but then charge and suspend Northern clubs when they paid players compensation for missing work. It was similar in NSW.
Haosboe
Guest
Rugby league's founding fathers' concern for it's employees in 1908 (or 1895) must have been visionary. The NSW Workmen's Compensation Act for employees in high risk occupations didn't start until 1910. It's a great game, but go easy on the fluffy, proletarian, underdog bit. It was about the money. "Show me the money, Jerry". Go the Kangaroos!
Haosboe
Guest
Well said TrueBlue. I've played both codes and they are different games. Yes, they are different games. I've also played tennis and squash. They are different games also, but with similarities. Perhaps the the greatest game of all tag is provocative. Enjoy both codes or follow the one you prefer, just lighten up everyone. Some people could do with anger management help.
Casper
Guest
Hey Emric, if you're so clever just look at the top of the roar webpage - there's a tab for rugby & one for League. Just click on the rugby tab & stay there if you're a hater!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody asked you to hijack the conversation & talk crowds. I'm happy to watch a good leage game played in front of a few thosand because that's my game, you can do likewise with rugby. Just go away & get a life.
Springs
Guest
Well your recollection is way off. The Northern Union was created in 1895, in England. The Rugby Football League was created in NSW in 1908. THAT was a 13 man game and did not have the same rules as Union. And yeah, league was often seen as the working class game against Union as the high class college game. One of the reasons league was formed is because players could get paid for time off work, due to injuries and tours. Working class people couldn't afford to play in case they were hurt and had to miss work. It was not very fair for a club to want a player to play for them, yet abandon them when they got hurt playing their game. In England it was even worse, and in France the game was actually banned. Look it up, learn some things.
Springs
Guest
lol, how are they not important exactly? They're countries, get over it.
Haosboe
Guest
Yes! Please stop it. Also stop the myth of the honorable working class struggle against the establishment. Yawn. My recollection of history's events is that in 1908 the Northern Rugby Football Union was formed so that players could be paid. They played a 15 man game with the same rules. In NSW both codes coexisted with similar support until the First World War when Union suspended play. The league competition continued through the war (financed by a newspaper hungry for back page news) and emerged the much stronger code. Some say that money is spoiling the game. No! Money created the game. And a good game it is.
Ra
Guest
So don't watch max. That way we wont have to put up with this whinging
Ra
Guest
England could have beaten the Aussie first up and wouldn't have had to suffer the agony of this gut wrenching loss.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
RL is a you score I score game. LOL You need to get out a bit Maximus.Better have a chat to the Fijian team. And calling ru more open,with an extra 4 players on the field.if that were the case,the constant need for penalty shots would be reduced dramatically,and more tries would result. You obviously have not been keeping up to speed,with the media proint and electornic ,and their continual bleatings about the Sharks and ASADA. 3 D.T journos work in tandem,to apparently reduce the possibility of litigation by a player,spend their time on such a subject matter. Heaven help us when the ASADA findings are announced,we will get an encyclopedia of mulch from this trio. One thing I agree FitzSimons is as you described,his pompous hypocrisy defies belief(or in his case non belief).
cowelly
Guest
I live in Wodonga and recieve the melbourne papers everyday. After the obvious fine and banning from the finals, the essondon scandal HAS been forgotten about. You obviously live in Melbourne because in the Sydney papers, they're still talking about the sharks even though there is no proof that any of them were doing any illegal substances. And RL is a score-I score game? AFL is basketball played on grass. And Rugby is a goal kicking affair that really is a score-I score game. Rarely have a seen a try for try for try affair in Rugby League.
Maximus
Guest
RL is a you score-I score game so you expect close games but for some that makes for repetition. RU and AFL are more open and hence one team can dominate possession. Fitz is a grumpy old man who blahs on about the republic and religion. Don't you think it odd/hypocritical he bleats on about peoples rights and then lambasts people for their beliefs yet he is arrogant enough to think his tips are the kiss of death for a teams chances as if his tips are important. Essendon has been forgotten??? - fined $1m, coach banned and dropped from finals. Punishment still ongoing - did you read the AFL papers when it was going on...You must live in Sydney. RL - nothing yet because ASADA is not finished
maximillian
Guest
What a weird comment. Kearney has coached NZ to win the 2008 WC & the 2010 4 Nations, as well as another WC final this time around so if the Kiwis do lose, it wont be because of Kearneys coaching. You dont think NZ should try offloads & tip on plays? In SBW/Pritchard/Kasiano etc, NZ have some of the best ballplaying forwards in the world. Why not play to those strengths as this will test Oz far greater than anything that's been thrown at them at the WC thus far. I know if Nz tries to play the percentages & grind out a win a la the Storm, they will lose. They need the big skilful forwards to punch holes in the smaller Aussie pack through the middle 3rd & then unleash Luke etc off the back of that. As a kiwi you should have more faith in our team.
Stephen Murray
Guest
The Kiwis are going to get flogged in the Cup final --- and I am a Kiwi Why will they get flogged even though most of them play NRL full-time ---I don't think Coach Kearney helps a great deal The New Zealand "style" of throw the ball around "willy nilly" might look good and might work sometimes, against lesser teams, but won't work against the Australian style of grinding forward assault and then follow up with set backline plays ---over and over ---it will beat "willy nilly " and "razzle dazzle" 95% of the time See "The Warriors" ---they've been trying it for years and look at their results Plus the Kiwis used up all their luck in the recent game against England
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Yes Glenn, of course international league has the potential to eclipse State of Origin. The success of State of Origin rests on ONE thing only - it has been played regularly and was never given up on. Internationals have not had that luxury. Every other argument for State of Origin also applies to international - passion, history, rivalry, skill etc etc. As a minimum, all it needs is the staging of a regular series between the big three each and every year for success to follow. Given that the international market is always going to be bigger than a single country, I don't understand at all how anyone can not feel international league doesn't have more potential than Origin.
Simmy
Guest
Ah... it was the 10 year anniversary of England's world cup win. That is kind of a big thing to commemorate.
cowelly
Guest
bahahaha!
cowelly
Guest
With the whole "media darling comment" I have to disagree. Rugby League is still punished in the Sydney media for being a bunch of oafs that rape and assault people, whilst the same actions happen in AFL and nothing is really said at all. Really, this whole Essondon scandal has been forgotten about and the Sharks are the ones who are in the limelight.
cowelly
Guest
Mate, I remember having the discussion in 2007 that no international team could beat Australia and that they should just give up on international league altogether. Since then we've seen the resurgance of England and NZ and have been a lot more competitive since then. I am not going to argue the fact of RWC and RLWC, the RWC is brilliant but the RLWC is taking small steps to become a credible world cup.. It will get there, it just needs time to heal itself from past blunders.
Casper
Guest
Nobody asked you to watch it if you're not a fan. Sure are some rabid lunatics on here trying to score oneupmanship in response to a blog about what a good game it was. Maybe your preference is to watch good goal kickers in union & that's your choice. I saw the wallies (not a mistake) score 2 tries & only fall in against Scotland who never looked like crossing the line, how dull is that. I agree with the sentiment of the original article, it was a really entertaining game with a thrilling finish, bit of heartbreak & some good fortune. Do RL fans really care how many people watch the AB's at Eden Park? Much the same as RU fans don't give a toss about state of origin being sold out in Brisbane every year (tickets gone in less than an hour). Watch it or don't watch it, just stay on topic & don't go down the petty code wars road.